Colorado man pleads guilty to sextortion of at least 68 children in “almost every state”

Colo. (KKTV) – A Colorado man has pled guilty to the sextortion of at least 68 children in “nearly every state” through social media and sex trafficking at least five of those children, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO). USAO said 31-year-old Ryan Austin Lauless of Colorado pled guilty to 21 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, five counts of sex trafficking of a minor, two counts of noticing and advertising child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material. Officials said the victims ranged from 13 to 16 years old at the time of the offenses and lived in nearly every state in the United States, as well as at least five foreign countries. Court documents say that between late 2019 and May 19, 2023, Lauless used social media apps including Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Yubo and Purp to coerce, sexually exploit and threaten at least 68 minor victims into producing thousands of sexually explicit images and videos. USAO said Lauless had misrepresented his identity, representing himself as “Cason Fredrickson,” a teenager from New York or other cities. In reality, officials said he was in his late 20s, living in hotels and motels in Colorado and
Read More